Nintendo kicked off its E3 2011 press conference with a full orchestra playing songs from the Legend of Zelda series, and it was well worth a listen.
Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda is one of the longest-running and most popular franchises in videogame history, and its iconic theme (or rather, its iconic themes) have been well worn into the mind of pretty much anyone who ever owned a Nintendo console.
This year, Nintendo is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the first Zelda, and it started its E3 2011 conference with a full orchestra playing a medley of some of the series’ most famous themes. As you can hear here to the right, it was one hell of a nostalgia trip.
The medley ended with the theme for the upcoming Skyward Sword, which we now know is “Zelda’s Theme” in reverse.
Nintendo announced that as part of the 25th anniversary celebration, all of its consoles would be getting classic Zelda titles like Link’s Awakening (Gameboy Virtual Console; today), Ocarina of Time (3DS remake; next week), Four Swords Adventures (DSi Store; September), and of course Skyward Sword (Wii; holiday season).
There will also be special Zelda symphonic concerts held around the world, presumably playing medleys just like the one you heard here. A special Ocarina of Time CD will be given out to the first people to register their copy of the game, and a symphonic Zelda CD will be included in Skyward Sword, presumably as a collector’s edition bonus or a preorder.
Either way, I love the Zelda games and their music, so this was awesome. I hope there’ll be a concert within travel distance for me, because I am so there.
(Via 1UP)
